I've budgeted about $500 for our family Christmas meal - it will serve 11 adults and 2 children and contains a very large ham, lamb cutlets, 2 beef wellingtons, prawns, lobsters, crabs and Moreton Bay Bugs (google them folks - they look weird but taste delicious.), 2 salads, potatoes plus a thwack of pre lunch nibbles and pudding plus a chocolate fountain for dessert and finally a dessert cocktail, petit fours and cherries.
Each couple kicks in $125 to help cover costs and also brings a couple of bottles of wine/beer/etc
I think we will be getting more bang for our buck. But then again I know how to plan and cook stuff.